1. Technical Field
Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a device configured to process print data and embroidery data for printing and embroidering.
2. Description of Related Art
An embroidering device, having a function of generating a bitmap image of an embroidery pattern from embroidery data (i.e., so-called stitch data containing a plurality of needle drop points) and printing out the bitmap image on fabric in addition to a function of embroidering patterns on fabric, has been proposed. An example of such an embroidering device is disclosed in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. HEI 11-76662 (hereafter, refereed to as JP-11-76662A).
As a technique for generating image data from embroidery data, JP-11-76662A discloses that a contour line is obtained for each of embroidery regions contained in embroidery data, and image data of the whole area defined by the contour line is generated for each embroidery region. In the embroidery data, a color designation code representing a thread color is contained at the top portion of each embroidery region. Therefore, by associating a color designation code with corresponding image data, it is possible to display and print out images of the embroidery regions in colors respectively corresponding to the color designation codes of the embroidery regions.
In general, fabric shrinks when an embroidery pattern is embroidered on the fabric by a sewing machine, and the degree of shrinkage of fabric increases as contractibility of the fabric increases. If print data and embroidery data are generated from image data of an image containing a plurality of patterns in accordance with the above mentioned technique disclosed in JP-11-76662A, and an image of the print data is printed on fabric and an embroidery pattern of the embroidery data is embroidered on the fabric, the printed image of the print data may be displaced from the embroidered pattern of the embroidery data because the technique of JP-11-76662A dose not consider a phenomenon of shrinkage of fabric due to embroidering.